Public consultation seeks the views on different ways specialist mental health services could be arranged – sponsored advertisement

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By

Anne Fletcher

00:01, 8 DEC 2015

Updated17:11, 8 DEC 2015

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Deciding Together: a new future for specialist mental health services in Newcastle and Gateshead

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Patients and families are being invited to share their views on options for the future of NHS specialist mental health services in Newcastle and Gateshead.

Deciding Together – launched by NHS Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) last month – will also gather feedback from carers, mental health professionals and service providers about the best ways to arrange services in the future. Over the past year, the NHS in Newcastle and Gateshead has asked hundreds of local people for their opinions, and now we are putting forward a range of ways in which inpatient and community mental health services could be arranged

All the scenarios include changes to in-patient and community services, as well as steps to make it easier for service users and carers to get the support they need.

Dr Guy Pilkington, a Newcastle GP and chair of NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG, said: “We are determined that mental healthcare should not be a Cinderella service when compared to healthcare for physical complaints.

“There is no health without mental health, so we need to invest more in mental health services in community settings.

“That means linking into the strengths of individuals, communities and voluntary organisations which can support people and help them live fulfilling, independent lives.

“We need better options for people to access more intense help quickly and close to home when they need it. When people become seriously unwell, we need more effective ways to help them recover.

“All this means changing the way we invest our money. We must spend less on hospital buildings and continue to reduce hospital admissions by investing in community support.”

The public consultation, launched on November 12, runs until February 12 2016.

At the launch event, clinical leaders outlined the different possible scenarios and the ways people can get involved and give their views.

Dr Pilkington added: “We need to hear from people who have lived with mental health concerns, people who have cared for friends and relatives, and members of the public with an interest in mental health. Together, we can think differently about mental health and build a better way to offer mental healthcare in Newcastle and Gateshead.”

Which services are involved in the consultation?

The CCG has been leading this work with a range of partners including Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) and other service providers from the community and voluntary sector.

The main services covered by the consultation include:

* Community mental health services for adults of working age living in Newcastle and Gateshead (provided by NTW and by community and voluntary sector organisations).

*Community mental health services for older people living in Newcastle (provided by NTW and by community and voluntary sector organisations).

*Inpatient mental health services for adults of working age living in Newcastle and Gateshead (provided by NTW – this covers acute care and rehabilitation in-patient services).

*Inpatient mental health services for older people living in Newcastle provided by NTW.